Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world and can contribute significantly in generating permanent employment opportunities and eliminating poverty, President Ram Nath Kovind said while addressing the Ministry of Tourism’s National Tourism Awards event in New Delhi on World Tourism Day.
Speaking further, the President said that the tourism industry contributes to 9.6 per cent of India’s GDP and 9.3 per cent in the job sector. “It is estimated that every 10th person in the world works in the tourism industry. In India too, the livelihood of a very large number of people is linked to the tourism industry. According to an assessment, an investment of Rs. 10 lakh in tourism industry provides employment to about 90 people, while about 45 in agriculture, and about 13 people in manufacturing,” he said.
The President said that inclusive tourism development can strengthen inclusive economic development. “Every citizen should strive to provide a good experience to tourists at his or her own level. In a tourism conscious society, the role of the government is only to provide direction and a facilitating environment,” he added.
The occasion was also used for launching new initiatives by the Ministry of Tourism. The President launched the “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign”; ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project and new Incredible India Website on the occasion. According to the release issued by the Ministry, “Incredible India 2.0 Campaign” marks a shift from the present generic promotions being undertaken across the world, to market specific promotional plans and product specific creatives, with greater focus on digital presence and social media. ‘Adopt A Heritage’ Project plans to entrust heritage sites to the public sector and private sector companies and individuals for the development of tourist amenities. They will become ‘Monument Mitras’ and adopt the sites. The “New Incredible India Website” is an advanced version of the website with more useful features.
He said that ‘Adopt a Heritage Project’ has great potential to make our rich and diverse heritage monuments, tourist-friendly. He expressed hope that this project will help in the maintenance of our heritage with a partnership of the public and private sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, Alphons Kannanthanam, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, Govt of India said that India’s foreign tourist arrivals and domestic tourist visits are on a growth trajectory. He said India is a destination which meets the needs of all travellers. “Our collective goal is to develop the tourism sector in India in a sustainable and responsible manner. Tourism is in an enviable position with the inherent capacity to create large scale employment, eradicate poverty, benefit local communities economically and socially, and to generate awareness and support for conservation of the environment. Our policies and actions must aim to strengthen the benefits and reduce the costs of tourism. He called upon leaders of travel and tourism industry to share their vision and innovative ideas on tourism, so as to translate the grand vision of the Prime Minister in transforming India’s tourism sector,” the Minister said.
In her welcome address, Rashmi Verma, Union Tourism Secretary, said that the tourism sector in India has been performing well over the past few years with an increasing growth rate, higher than the world average growth rate. “In 2016, India welcomed 8.80 million foreign tourists, an increase of 9.7 per cent over the previous year. The current year also looks very promising with a double digit growth rate of 15.7 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals for January to July 2017. This would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of our partners in the tourism sector,” she added.
The awards were conferred to those who have contributed immensely for the growth of tourism industry. While Madhya Pradesh has bagged 10 awards, Kerala bagged a total of 9 awards. Telangana and Goa bagged 8 and 2 awards respectively. While Gujarat won the ‘Hall of Fame’ award for the ‘Best State/UT in Comprehensive Development of Tourism, Madhya Pradesh has won the ‘Best Tourism State’ award for the third consecutive year. Kerala received the ‘Hall of Fame’ award for the ‘most innovative use of information technology – social media / mobile app’ for the ninth consecutive year for tourism promotion. From Telangana, while Warangal bagged Best Heritage City award, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) got Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in India award. Goa for the first time bagged two awards.
